This disclosure relates generally to the management of notifications that are presented on multiple devices of a user.
It has become common for people to use multiple electronic devices. For example, a single user may use a mobile phone, tablet computer device, laptop computer system, and desktop computer system during a typical day. It has also become increasingly common for there to be an overlap in the manner in which these devices are used. While mobile devices such as mobile phones and portable music devices were at one time used for very specific purposes, the increased functionality, processing capabilities, and connectivity of these devices has enabled them to be used in many of the same ways as a laptop or desktop computer system.
Because a user may switch between devices throughout the day, each device may be set up similarly to allow the user to receive the same types of information through each device. For example, a user may set up each of their devices to retrieve information such as email, weather updates, sports updates, and social network messages. Based on the multiple sources from which this information is received, each device may also be set up to consolidate information such that the user can view information from the multiple sources through a single interface. In such an arrangement, information received by applications running on a device may generate notifications that are presented through a single notification interface. Therefore, a user may be able to easily switch between devices and view information that is of interest to them. Each device may continue to receive information and generate notifications even when the device is in an inactive state (i.e., not in active use by the user). Therefore, upon activation, a device may display all of the new notifications that have been generated since the last time the device was used. Based on the overlap in the manner in which the devices are used, it may be cumbersome for a user to sift through overlapping notifications that they have already viewed on another device.